Inner Conflicts
by Yuxume
Summary: Seven years apart, with the girl older than the boy. Many don't look upon this with favor, not even Lightning and Hope, the pair in question. Yet, eventually they must acknowledge their feelings for one another. T for language.
1. Denial

Hope sighed, his chin resting on his hand as he leaned against the armrest of his chair, a notebook on his lap. "Why do we need to listen to a lecture..." It wasn't really a question, more like a complaining sort of statement. He and his friend Vincent were sitting in an auditorium, awaiting the start of a presentation that their school demanded an essay about. At an age of sixteen, after all, even Hope, who had aided in the salvation of Cocoon, had to attend school.

Vincent, an extremely tan boy with wild black hair and brown eyes, shrugged. "Might as well deal with it. It's an assignment, anyways." He was one of Hope's best friends at school, and was an upbeat, talented person. "Look, it's starting. Remember to take notes," He commented as the lights in the auditorium dimmed.

Hope grumbled a little, straightening up and readying his pencil as a tiny woman took the stage, starting with her introduction. "Good afternoon, everyone! My name is Dr. Lynne Masil, and I'm so glad that so many people came to attend today. I'll be talking to you today about mRNPs, messenger ribonucleoproteins that reside in mammalian cells. Now, there are two different types of these mRNPs..."

Hope and Vincent bent their head over their journals, scribbling furiously to keep up with the speaker. Halfway through the presentation, though, Hope's mind was already far away from the lecture, though his eyes continued to stare at the power point on the overhead, pencil tap tap tapping on his notebook.

Unbidden, his mind drifted towards a certain strawberry blond female who was, nowadays, always floating about in the back of his mind. Lightning Farron, whose real name was Claire, and was nicknamed Light, was one of Hope's companions on his journey as a l'Cie. She was a caring and kind person, though she tried to hide it behind a stoic, uncaring mask. Once you knew her, it was easy to look past the shell to her heart. Light was beautiful, too... Mesmerizing blue eyes, pink hair that was always draped across her left shoulder, and a heart-shaped face...

Hope's eyes widened, the consternation that he had missed at least five, detailed slides of the presentation rising within him. He quickly bent over his notebook, dedicating the next five minutes to paying close attention to Dr. Masil and the "interesting" things she had to say.

Lightning had been giving him training sessions once a week, and it was showing. Hope was a lot stronger now, and had a ton of endurance. Not to mention the fact that he was finally a tiny bit taller than Lightning giving him a lot of joy, and relief. Speaking of which, wasn't the next session tomorrow...? He would see her later today, though. He was picking her up from work, and driving her back to Serah's. Hope's heart gave a leap at the thought.

No, no, _no! Damn it!_ Why was he thinking about her so much lately? Hope shook his head vigorously, silver hair flying about his head. Vincent gave his friend an exasperated look as Hope tried to peer at his notes. "Why can't you _ever_ pay attention...?" Vincent hissed.

"I've got a lot on my mind, okay...?" Hope whispered right back, running a hand through his tousled locks. Vincent just rolled his eyes and turned back to the presentation.

"...nonsense-mediated mRNA decay, or NMD, mostly functions to destroy mRNAs that prematurely terminate translation..."

_Shit, what the hell does that mean? _An agitated Hope tapped his foot against the floor. Vincent spared him a look and finally hissed, furiously, "_Fine._ I'll let you copy my notes later. Otherwise, you'd be all pissed off and whiny later. Geez, you are _such_ a..." This statement was followed by grumbles and incoherent noises made in a highly annoyed tone.

"Vince, you're the greatest." Hope thanked his friend, who merely grunted, and turned back to the powerpoint. Now, his mind could concentrate on more _important_ things.

Hope had been thinking a lot about Lightning recently. Over the span of the two years, Hope had gotten a lot closer to Light. Sometimes, she would rant to him about her work, and Hope wouldn't mind. He sometimes, after all, went on a tyrant about school, and she would just listen and give some advice when she could. At times, they'd get a bit angry with each other, but quarrels never lasted long. Soon, they'd be joking with each other again, and Hope would see that rare smile of Light's, one that warmed his insides and made his own face grin. Lightning, sometimes with Serah and Snow, was a familiar face at the Estheim's, and Hope often visited Light at her house.

But lately, Hope had been feeling different around Light. It felt sort of like he was getting a mild, quick fever when they went out together to see a movie, or something, even when other friends and/or family tagged along, and he saw her in casual clothes. It really was a very different look from the uniform he was used to seeing her wear... He would always want to impress her, make that smile of hers come out. A few times, she even laughed out loud, giving him a feeling that couldn't be expressed in words.

Was he going nuts? Was this like... a crush? Was he in love? But, that couldn't be... Light was like a big sister to him, just like Serah. She was his tutor, his mentor, his best friend.

It wasn't _love, _was it?

Lightning sat at her desk, shuffling through a stack of papers of reports that she had to read through. Setting them aside for later, she picked up a folder labeled, "NEW RECRUITS," which held information on people signing up to become a Guardian Corps soldier. Flipping it open, she read the top of one application, before immediately stamping, "DENIED" on top of it and moving it to the side. The applicant was only seventeen. The minimum age requirement was eighteen.

She had been moved up through the ranks to 2nd Lieutenant, her Lieutenant's assistant, since she had been branded by a Pulse fal'Cie, been marked as a fugitive and public enemy, and helped save Cocoon. Amodar, Light's superior and the 1st Lieutenant, had attempted to push her rank higher, but she had stoutly refused, stating quite bluntly that she would not rise a single rank above him. Amodar was quite a kind man, and she was rather loyal to him, though she didn't seem the type to abide by such things.

Glancing at the clock, Light gave a tiny, almost unseeable smile before her face reverted back to her usual, unreadable expression. She stood and placed the papers back into the folder, shoving the folder back into the drawer from where she had pulled it from.

"Lieutenant Amodar, sir." Lightning stood at attention, saluting her superior. "I will be leaving now."

Her superior stood near the door, looking through some files in a metal cabinet. Upon hearing her, Amodar glanced up at the clock, before nodding and smiling, waving her off with a hand as he returned to his search within the drawer. "Yes, yes... Have fun. Tell Hope I said hello."

Lightning blinked. "S-Sir, I..." She heaved a sigh. "I will see you tomorrow, sir." She turned on her heel and left, trying to remain as composed as possible when small giggles could still be heard as she exited the office.

_Tch. Why does everyone react that way when I'm leaving...? It's true I'm with Hope a lot, but we're just good friends, and I'm his mentor... Nothing else._

Safe within a bathroom stall, Light pulled off her Guardian Corps uniform, putting on some casual clothes she pulled from a bag, a lime green tank top and jeans. Stuffing the uniform into the bag as she left the bathroom, a sudden vibration shook the pocket of her jeans. The pink-haired woman, still preoccupied with forcing the clothes all the way into the bag, absentmindedly plucked the phone out of her pocket and rested it between her shoulder and chin. "Hello?"

"Light? It's me. I'm in the parking lot, 'kay?"

"Oh, Hope. Alright. Sorry you had to wait. I'll be out in a sec." Lightning pushed some hair out of her face, straightening hurriedly.

"Yeah, no rush. See you in a few."

"Mm." Lightning closed the phone with a snap and headed towards the door in a fast walk, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

She was halfway out the door before she stopped and looked at her reflection in the glass of the double doors. Tilting her head this way and that, she reached up a hand that hesitated slightly before fixing up some strands in the front and back. She turned her head this way and that, examining the effect.

Suddenly realizing that she was about to smile at her reflection, to see how it looked, Lightning gasped and her face developed a pink tinge. She whipped around to see if anyone was looking, before practically fleeing the scene.

Hope greeted Lightning with a wave before stopping and squinting at her. The woman blinked, her head jerked back a bit. "...What?"

"...You okay? Your face is red." Hope cocked his head at her as Lightning's vaguely rosy face grew even pinker.

"I-It is not. I was just in a rush to get here." Light slid into the seat beside Hope, setting her bag down on her lap decisively.

"Ohh, yeah~?" Hope butted his head up against her shoulder playfully. "Tell me~ What happened, Light?"

Still a bit rosier than usual, Light pushed the teen away, a small smile creeping onto her face. "I told you, nothing happened. Stop that. We'll be late if we don't leave right now. It's Serah and Snow's anniversary."

"Yeah, but it's gonna be private, right? Not like last year, on their first anniversary, when what must've been like, half the city came and celebrated with us."

"Don't remind me. Too many people, too rowdy. And Snow made that god awful speech. It's private, but we still don't want to be late. We don't want to give Serah f- a reason to worry." Good thing she had stopped herself. She had nearly said, "We don't want to give Serah funny ideas." What would that have implied?

Hope didn't seem to notice though, as he nodded and sat back in his seat, gearing the car into reverse mode and backing out of his parking spot. "Mmhm, alrighty..." He said absentmindedly, concentrating on the road.

"How was the lecture?"

"Um... I didn't get it, to put it bluntly."

"What was it on?"

"m...mRN...E's? U-Uh, something like that."

"...mRNE, huh? How are you going to write the paper?"

Hope sighed. Light could always see through any lie he told. He probably wasn't very good at it in the first place. "Well, Vince said he would help."

Lightning shook her head, pale bangs swaying. "That poor boy. Having to put up with you all the time." Hope thought she truly meant that and was hurt for a moment, before noticing that she had turned away and was shaking... in mirth.

"Light!" Hope laughed, pushing at the woman's shoulder. "You're terrible!"

"Stop that! Concentrate on driving! You'll kill us all."

"I passed my test on my first try!"

"Well, you _did_ have practice with Alexander."

Their playful talk continued all the way to Serah's house. During this period of time, Lightning had whacked Hope on the head several times due to his mischievous comments, and Hope had protested, before threatening to crash them.

_Yeah. Just best friends._ This thought ran through both of their minds, as they got out of the car, heading towards the apartment where Snow and Serah lived.

_Just best friends. _Hope's hand twitched as he thought of her own hand, a very close distance from his.

_Just friends._ Lightning felt her face begin to flush again. _...Shit._


	2. Anniversary Dinner

**AssasinZAssasin: Your reviews are always something to look forward to. ^^ About your request about the story when Hope's sick, that'll be incorporated into this story later.**

**Scion of Hades: If you think that was a cliffhanger, you won't like the end to this. xD**

**Revan Farron: Thank you! Hope this one isn't one-sided, as well. Tried to make it seem more general.**

**FFLightXHopeTifaXCloud: Psh, Light's the only thing on Hope's mind right now. 8D By the way, I'll make the wedding story and accident story as two separate ones, okay?**

**xXAnime4LifeXx: Aw, thank you so much! :)**

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><p>Serah was the one who answered the door, brightening at the sight of the two. "Sis! Hope! You guys are on time! Surprisingly," She added, which earned her a look from Light and a sheepish grin from Hope. "Well, what are you doing, standing out there? C'mon in!"<p>

Hope blinked in surprise and raised an eyebrow when Serah smiled mischievously at him behind Lightning's back as she hugged her.

"You're looking a lot better, now." Light smiled as Serah wrapped her arms around her, returning the warm gesture afterwards. Serah had recently given birth to boy and girl twins; her and Snow's first two children. They were being carried, one in each arm, by Snow, who appeared behind his wife, greeting his friend and sister-in-law.

Snow winked at Hope, jerking his head towards Light, who was still asking about Serah's condition. Hope adopted a dry expression and mouthed a "What?" to his friend.

"He~y, Hope! Sis! Glad you two could make it! Say hello to your aunt and uncle, you two!" The blond man set the baby boy, Ethan, into Lightning's arms, before gently handing Nora, the girl, to Hope.

"H-Hey, I'm not really their uncle..." Hope protested weakly. To be honest, he quite liked it, that title of "Uncle Hope."

The silver-haired teen smiled as he cradled the small baby. "Hey, Nora..." He whispered, as he touched her tiny nose gently. The baby, head covered in a thin fuzz, gurgled happily and reached for Hope's own nose, latching on tight and refusing to let go.

Everyone, even Hope, burst out laughing at this, though Hope's laugh was squeaky and nasally sounding, thanks to the fact that Nora didn't seem to want to let go.

Nora. His mother's name. He would get used to it, he knew, calling someone Nora. His mother had died two years ago, when she and Hope had been forced onto the Purge Train. Lightning and Sazh had actually been on the same train, and had derailed it. Nora had joined Snow and his, ironically named, NORA group in the battle against PSICOM soldiers. An explosion injured her, and before she died, she had asked Snow to take Hope home.

Misunderstanding the whole situation, Hope had actually blamed Snow for his mother's death, bearing a strong hatred towards the tall man. Hope had also done something he had always regretted afterwards. He had, in his rage, tried to murder Snow.

Learning that Hope was Nora's son, Snow understood Hope's grief and reasons, accepted full blame, and Hope forgave him. The two became good friends afterwards.

Hope could also remember when Snow asked Hope if he and Serah could name their first daughter after Nora. It actually had not been timed particularly well, on Serah and Snow's part. Since Serah had moved in with Snow, Hope had begun to visit Light more often, so it had been at her house, with him present, as well. Naturally, Lightning would never admit it, but Hope knew her better than she thought. He could tell she was lonely without Serah.

* * *

><p>They had been eating lunch, the four of them. Serah and Snow had been a little awkward and nervous looking the whole entire time, so finally Light had set her eating utensils down with some force, and put her arms on the table in a very business-like fashion, staring her brother-in-law and little sister down. "<em>Okay<em>, you two. This has gone on long enough. What is going on?"

Snow had looked up at the ceiling, then down at his plate, before shooting a glance at his wife. Serah herself picked at a bit of pasta before setting her fork down with a sigh. "Sis. I'm pregnant."

Hope had choked on his water, and began to beat wildly on his chest. Light, extremely pale in comparison to the red-faced boy, had brought a fist down mightily on Hope's back without even sparing him a glance as the boy gave an exclamation of pain. She was too busy staring at Serah in a mixture of horror, shock, and disbelief. "Wh... What... You two..."

And then, she had whirled on Snow, half rising out of her seat while glaring down on the wincing man. "You... I am so... She's only..." Her mouth opened and closed, stammering out words every now and then, but couldn't form a complete sentence.

Finally, she sat back down, and put a hand to her forehead, leaning against the back of her chair weakly. "Serah..." She whispered. "You're only _nineteen..."_

Though she was just as pale as her sister, Serah just gazed at Lightning, a serious and determined expression on her face. "I know, Sis. But, I think I'm ready."

"Ready?" Hope gasped, finally catching his breath. His pink face was incredulous, yet rather amazed. "Serah, you're only four years older than I am!"

"Yep. But, we'll be fine. Snow's getting a full time job, soon, and I've already become a school teacher. Please, Sis." Her eyes turned back to her older sister, pleading. "Please, say you'll support me..."

Lightning's hand slid of her face and she sighed, turning her face back down to look Serah dead in the eye. "...How do you expect me to say no... When you're looking at me like that?"

The nineteen-year-old leaped up, a smile brightening her face. On the opposite side of the table, Snow jumped up, too. "S-Sis, you mean it...?"

Light's hand flashed towards her fork and she held it, poised threateningly, in front of Snow's face. "_I'm warning you, Snow." _She hissed. "You _better_ take care of my sister."

Snow looked at the fork with a slightly worried expression, before steeling himself and matching Lightning eye for eye. "You won't have to worry."

"I pray you won't disappoint me," Lightning said, more calmly. She sat back down, and stabbed a pasta noodle, preparing to eat more.

"Hope, I've got a question for you." Snow now directed his attention to the silver-haired boy sitting next to him.

"What's up?" Hope's pink face was slowly reverting back to it's original color as he wiped his forehead.

"Would you... Well, I'll make it quick... Would you let me call our first daughter Nora?" Lightning's fork missed her mouth, and the noodle made a spaghetti sauce mark on the side of her mouth as she looked at Snow in amazement and disbelief.

Hope's eyes glazed over for a moment, his expression unreadable. After awhile, he simply said, "Okay." His voice, though, seemed a tad strained

Snow blinked in surprise. "J-Just okay?" Serah covered her mouth with a hand, watching Hope's face anxiously.

"Well, you'll have to talk to my dad, first," Hope said, in an odd tone of voice. His face was turned away from Snow and Serah, staring out the window. Light leaned over and looked at the boy. She straightened back up and wiped her mouth, her other hand rising and coming to rest on top of Hope's poofy locks.

Snow sighed, looking down at his plate. "Hope... I'm still really sorry about everything that happened... Please... It's my last way of truly apologizing."

Hope took a shuddering breath, and wiped his face, before turning back to Serah and Snow. "...Yeah." He smiled, pale, but back to normal.

* * *

><p>Bartholomew had been most kind and agreeable in allowing the name to be bestowed upon the new born, but, <em>geez, <em>Hope thought as he gently pried Nora's strong fingers off of his nose. _She's going to have one heck of a bedtime story when she asks how she got her name._

"Okay, well, we've gotten everything _all_ set up," said Serah proudly as she ushered them in. "Let's go eat, let's go eat!"

The table was set for six, with three chairs on each side, one high chair in between two regular chairs. Lightning set Ethan in one high chair between Serah and Snow, and Nora went into the other one, between Lightning and Hope.

A lovely dinner of rosemary chicken with lemon, broccoli with mushrooms, and spaghetti was laid out on the table. Soon, the group was chatting and laughing happily, a little family having dinner. Lightning was gently teaching Nora that she had to wipe her mouth after getting spaghetti sauce on her face, Serah was forcing Ethan to use his fork instead of fingers to eat, and Hope and Snow were joking around about hair. Yep, hair. After all, Hope's head was covered in puffy white locks, and Snow had a piece of blond hair usually covered up by his bandana that never lay flat.

"Sooo, Hope." Serah smiled innocently. "Any... girls catch your eye? Ah, in school, maybe?" Snow chuckled, before trying to pass it off as amusement at Ethan and Nora, who were having a staring contest with each other.

"Ehhh... Maybe." Hope said, dismissively, biting into a chicken leg, avoiding everyone's eyes, but taking special pains to not look to his right, where Lightning sat.

"May~be? Could that possibly be a _yes_? Do any of us other than you know her? C'mon, you can tell _us, _right?" Serah grinned devilishly.

Hope raised his eyebrows. "Serah, I would _not _tell you _anything_, even for fifty bucks, after seeing that look you're giving me."

The pink-haired teen leaned back in her chair, pouting playfully. "Awww, c'mon... Tell us!"

Hope swallowed his bite of chicken and shrugged. "Why target me? _Lightning," _He finally faced the woman, giggling slightly, "was _blushing _today, when I picked her up from work. _I _think it was 'cause of a _guy._"

He was so intent on Lightning, and she was so concentrated on the ceiling, that Hope missed how Serah's grin spread to Snow's face, as well. "Oh, _really, _Sis?" The two asked in unison.

Light sighed, remaining cool and collected. "I was _not _blushing. I had just been running. Maybe next time, I'll just take my time and let you wait in the parking lot, Hope."

"Eee, just look at me a-shiverin', Light!"

Friendly jibes were exchanged among everyone, until the table was filled with laughter, with even the high squeals of the children joining in. However, from the look Serah gave Snow, it was clear she was _not _going to give up yet.

After dinner, Serah and Lightning were washing the dishes when the younger sister turned and looked up at her sister with puppy eyes. "Sorry, Sis, but could you and Hope go buy some fruit at the market? It's just down the road, through the park, so you won't have to drive. Pineapple, preferably."

Lightning nodded absentmindedly. "Mmm... I'll go right after... Hey." She looked at her sister. "If it's just down the road, I don't need Hope to escort me there."

"Hey, you never know, Sis. C'mon, Hope, go be a gentleman." Snow interjected from the couch, where he was entertaining the twins. Hope was wiping the table with a wet cloth when he heard the conversation and laughed. "I don't think Light of all people needs an escort," Lightning shrugged. "But, she is a lady, after all." Hope giggled, and Light looked away, back down at the dishes, which she scrubbed with new vigor. Her expression was a mask of mild annoyance, but a bit of a red escaped and flooded her cheeks.

Serah whipped the gloves off her sister's hands and nudged her towards the door. "Go on, Sis, Hope. Remember, pineapple. Or bananas." A shopping bag was hurriedly shoved into Hope's hands and a moment later the two of them were standing outside the apartment, looking at the closed door.

The two looked at each other and, at the same time, Light sighed and smiled as Hope started laughing. "Well, come on. Let's go."

_This is... nice._

Hope and Lightning had gone to the market and bought both pineapples and bananas. Now, they were heading back through the streetlight lit park, back towards the Villiers' apartment.

Hope couldn't help but shoot glances at the pink-haired female quite frequently. She was beautiful, with her rare, lovely smiles, her heart-shaped face, her blue eyes... Hope blinked. Lightning was watching him, now, too. "What? You keep staring at me."

"Uh... N-No, I just, uh... I thought there was something your face."

"Is there?"

"No... Y-Your face is fine."

"...Ah, really?" Lightning seemed rather unfazed, simply continuing through the park. "Well, hurry up."

Hope hesitated a moment, before following, trailing slightly behind him. They soon reached the edge of the park, and the apartment was in sight. Lightning's step didn't slow a bit, but Hope stopped dead in his tracks, right beside the sign that read, in bright colors, _Welcome to Chrysalis Park._

"Hm? Hope?" Light turned, blue eyes questioning.A red flush spread over Hope's face, contrasting with his pale hair. "Are you sick?"

"No... Light, I w-wanted to t-tell you..." Hope stammered, but didn't finish his sentence, inspecting his feet closely.

After a long pause, Light tilted her head. "...What?" Hope was silent.

Impatiently, Light folded her arms and stared at him, slapping her arm. "Hope, I'm going to be bitten by so many mosquitoes, I'm going to be one huge itch. Hurry up and spit it out."

Hope looked up, clearly more determined. "Light. I..."

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><p>Annnnd, I'll stop there. :3<p>

Sorry for any errors in here. I wanted to post a new chapter for this one as soon as possible! ^^


	3. Memories and the Moon

**-Fidgets- Sorry if it's a little bad... I wanted to update as soon as possible. Hope you'll all forgive me this time.**

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**AssasinZAssasin: Oh, no... I'll try to fix up the cliffhangers! It was actually my first time doing it, and I couldn't really do the whole confession, because... Well, just read. xD**

**FFLightXHopeTifaXCloud: Your favorite? O.O I'm seriously honored! Thank you! As for your offer, I'd love for you to help me with that! ^^ AssasinZAssasin does that, as well, but more help never hurts. I, of course, want you to keep giving me your personal reviews, at the same time, though.**

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**PinkhairedSoldier: Ah, sorry for the confusion. I saw all your views and reviews. You were really on a roll! xD**

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><p>"Light, I..." Hope stared into Light's eyes. The woman's expression turned from one of expectancy to surprise at the boy's intense gaze, her eyes widening.<p>

A huge force collided with the silver-haired boy so fast, it was as if Hope had never been standing in front of Lightning, and, had instead, always been lying on the ground, a large boy standing above him. He had a massive amount of brilliant red hair, and was a little on the plump side.

"_Hope! _Where've ya been, man?" He boomed, hands on hips. "Man, we haven't hung out in so long! Evi's been askin', too! All Vince said was that you had to go somewhere like, four times a week after school!"

Hope slowly sat up, rubbing his head. "...Tau..." He growled, as Vincent and a girl ran up behind the broad boy.

"_Tau! _I told you not to, you dumbass!" Vincent yelled, running up and pushing the red-haired boy away. The girl knelt by Hope, her expression worried. Her long, brown hair hung down to her elbows and was streaked with rusty red highlights. Her brown eyes looked reproachfully at Tau from the ground.

"Tau, you could've seriously hurt him!" The girl chided. "Hope, are you okay?" She asked, her tone immediately changing.

"Yeah, thanks, Evi." Hope heaved himself up off the ground, and dusted himself off, face flushed. And he had just been embarrassed in front of the one person he had just decided to confess to... _Ugh... All my courage is gone now. Damn you, Tau..._

The red-haired boy stuck out his lower lip. "Why is everyone blaming me? I was just happy to see Hope..."

"A little too happy..." Vincent growled, jerking his head to the side, clearly upset.

This whole time, Lightning had been standing, dumbfounded, her mouth slightly agape. Now, she shook her head, and all her emotions bubbled up. There was curiosity, worry, anger, and a little bit of... annoyance? She was curious about what Hope had been about to tell her with such a serious expression. Worry came from concern about Hope's wellbeing after being slammed to a concrete walkway. The anger came from witnessing Tau's recklessness.

As for the annoyance... Lightning wasn't sure. It most _certainly _wasn't due to that girl fawning over Hope. Definitely _not._

Anyways, all those emotions were just ingredients for a boiling frustration. It quickly festered into anger, and Light's expression became thunderous.

Over Tau's shoulder, Hope took note of it. Vince, in turn, took note of Hope's reaction, and followed his gaze. Upon seeing what he was looking at, the black-haired boy quickly stepped back to stand way behind Hope. Tau had his back turned to the woman, and Evi had eyes only for Hope, constantly asking what was wrong.

Finally, Light's great mix of emotions reached a boiling point and she stepped right up to Tau, tapping him on the shoulder. "Huh?" He blinked in a vacant manner, turning around to find Lightning's finger pointed in his pudgy face.

"And, _what do you think you're doing?" _Lightning yelled into the alarmed boy's face. "Don't you _think _at _all? _You could have seriously injured Hope! What if he had hit his head?"

Tau stumbled back, and Evi looked up in alarm. "That's _dangerous! Never do that again, idiot!" _Light glared at the boy, then shot a stare at the young girl. This surprised even her. She had nothing against the girl... She had been worried about Hope, too. She shook her head vigorously and then put on an emotionless mask.

"I'm heading back, Hope. I'll see you later." Before the boy could answer, Lightning spun on her heel and walked away, head held high. She soon reached the apartment building and stiffly stepped in, out of sight from the park.

Once she had closed the door behind her, the pink-haired woman sighed, shoulders drooping slightly. _What's wrong with me...? Must be feeling overprotective... Yes, that's got to be it. He's a close friend. That's all._

Still trying to persuade herself, she ascended the stairs, ignoring the elevator, and unlocked the front door to the Villiers' apartment. Lightning was greeted by Serah, who took the bag of fruit but gave her a quizzical and suspicious look. "...Where's Hope?" The younger sibling asked.

"No idea." Light said, bluntly. "I suspect he ran off with his _friends." _She spat out the word sarcastically.

Serah raised an eyebrow. "Ohhhh, I see... Well," She turned and headed towards the kitchen. "That's rude of him. To not escort a lady all the way back home."

Lightning followed Serah and leaned against the counter, rolling her eyes. "It wasn't his fault. His friends just interrupted us. Interrupting is putting it mildly." Soon, she was on a roll, venting her anger about the incident. "His friend _rolled_ him to the ground, and then acted like everything was fine! A big red-haired boy. Didn't even notice Hope was talking to someone else!"

Serah had her back turned to her older sister, but she had a small smile on her face that Lightning couldn't see. Snow listened quietly from the couch, watching the kids play in an absentminded sort of way.

"Now, that's rude!" Serah declared, turning back around and setting a plate of chopped up pineapples on the counter. "Set that on the table for me, will you? Thanks. Anyways," She added casually, "What... was Hope talking to you about?"

"No idea." Light said shortly, setting the plate down with a clink. "Snow, bring Nora and Ethan over for fruit."

The blond man stretched and stood, scooping up his giggling children. With large strides, he was soon setting them in their high chairs and pulling his own chair out. He set himself down and reached for a pineapple with his bare hands.

Lightning slapped his outstretched hand with the flat part of the fork tines. "Ow!" Snow complained.

"Use a fork." Light handed it to him. "Anyways, I don't think Hope's coming back tonight."

"Sis... You didn't yell at him and his friends, did you?"

"A bit. Oh, please." Light rolled her eyes at the look Serah gave her. "They'll live. They aren't going to cry. They're in high school."

* * *

><p>"<em>Hoooope!"<em> A voice wailed from behind the silver-haired teenager.

Hope rolled his eyes and turned to face Tau. "For God's sake, Tau, stop crying. Lightning was just mad 'cause you knocked me over."

"_You _aren't mad, are ya, Hope?"

"For the last time, _no._"

"But she's still scary, Hope! Who is she?"

"My friend. You know, Lightning Farron. We saved Cocoon with the rest of my friends, remember?"

"Oh, yeah! I keep forgetting you're a hero and all, Hope." Tau gazed at his friend with dazed eyes, as if he still couldn't believe that Hope had done all that.

"I'm not a hero." Hope shrugged. "I just did what I had to. Anyways, she's not a bad person. She seems really angry and uncaring, but in reality, she's really caring and nice. It's amazing how much humor she keeps hidden, too, and she's a lot of fun to be... with... Evi, what are you doing?"

The girl had been staring at Hope with narrowed eyes. "...What is that woman to you, anyways, Hope?" Vincent, who had been walking next to Hope, not really paying attention to the conversation, suddenly grew much more acute to his surroundings.

"Wh... Wait, what? I... What do you mean?" Hope asked, though he understood what she meant perfectly.

"Nothing. You just seem to be _much_ more than friends." Evi frowned, and turned away. "Hmph!" She pouted.

"What? Aw, c'mon, guys." Hope sighed as he noted that even Tau was staring at him. "We're just really good friends... We were fugitives, together. Of course we'll be really close."

Evi remained silent, and Vincent smirked a little. Tau just sniffled a little and then quickened his pace to catch up with the rest of the group. Hope sighed. They didn't believe him the slightest bit, did they? But, did he even believe himself?

"Say, how about a quick stop at a diner, or something?

"Huh? Uh... Sure, why not? Can't stay long, though. I have to get home before... 10:30, I think. And my car is still parked over that way."

"And what were you doing _there?"_

"Evi, _c'mon."_

* * *

><p>Back at her own home, Lightning threw her bag onto a vacant chair and trudged straight to her room. The moon's light streamed through the curtains, casting mysterious shadows upon the ground. It wasn't completely full, yet, but the great orb was still gorgeous. Light stood and looked at it for awhile, before turning and heading to her bathroom.<p>

In the bathroom, she began to change into pajamas, pulling off her shirt and tugging on the other one. It hadn't bothered her much before, but now that Hope's friends weren't the first things on her mind, feeding her anger, Light was really curious about what Hope had been about to say...

Done with changing, Lightning filled a cup with water and squeezed toothpaste onto a red toothbrush. Sticking it in her mouth, she began scrubbing vigorously, mind preoccupied. What had it been...? And Serah had just been on _fire _today, so to speak, grinning at her constantly. What was with her? Geez...

Spitting out toothpaste foam, the pink-haired woman took a swig of water, swishing the mouthful about before spitting it into the sink. Wiping her face with a towel, Light ran a brush through her lovely hair, shaking her head. She shouldn't let all these thoughts get to her. It was only because she was tired... Yes, she had to get to sleep.

Lightning flicked off the lights in the bathroom and walked through the dark house back to her room. Settling into bed, Light pulled the covers to her chin and turned onto her side, staring at the moon. _Those were silly thoughts, Claire Farron. Get yourself together. You are Lightning, a soldier._

_...What would Fang say? And Vanille? Those two..._

She could imagine it well, picturing Fang standing with her weight on her left leg, hand on her right hip. Her red spear was slung over her back, as always. The dark-haired woman grinned, her green eyes shining, matching with her bronze skin. "_Hmmm...? What's this about, huh? Hey, Vanille, isn't this cute?"_

As if peeking out from behind a wall, a red-headed girl popped her head out from the side of Lightning's mind, her striking green eyes cheery as her pigtails swayed. _"Hm? What, what, tell me!"_

In the dark, Lightning smiled, and rolled away from the moon. What was she doing...? She had to sleep... There was no use dwelling on memories right now. It was crucial that she get her energy. She had to attend what would most likely be an extremely boring meeting tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Hope sat on his windowsill, staring out at the dazzling orb hanging in the sky. He was in his pajamas, but had already been lying in bed for over an hour, with no signs of sleep coming anytime soon. So, he had gotten up and sat at the window, mulling things over. Lightning... Had he been about to confess to her?<p>

His thoughts drifted aimlessly about... Did Serah know? She was freakily sharp about these type of things. She had probably let Snow in on it, as well. Their sly smiles crept into his head and Hope sighed. It was amazing to him that Serah hadn't let the cat out of the bag to the entire world, yet.

_Mom... What would you say? You'd laugh, huh?_

His mother appeared clearly in his mind, laughing with a cheery grin. _"My little boy is growing up! Now then, Hope, c'mon and tell your mom all about her!"_

Hope grinned into his sleeve. Other friends appeared in his mind, as well. Vanille skipped past, only to stop and gape at him in a comical manner. _"What did you say? Lightning...?" _Her face burst into an exuberant expression. "_No way! Ohmygoodness, tell me all about it! Haveyoutoldheryet? Whenareyougonna?"_

Then, an older woman strode into his vision. _Fang..._

_"Hmmm? Cayu~te. So, kiddo, what d'you have to say? Wanna tell us all about it?"_

Hope shook his head, even though he smiled. _Heh... Stupid... _He wiped his face as a sudden stream of tears escaped his eyes. _What are you doing... They wouldn't want you to do that... Ugh, go to bed already, stupid!_

He stood and stalked to his bed, jumping in and throwing the covers in. Before he dozed off, a mental image of Lightning, smiling, crept into his mind. _Tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow I'll tell her... Good thing it's a weekend._

* * *

><p><strong>Edit: Linebreaks put in. Thanks, reviewers, for telling me. ^^<strong>


	4. Of Confessions

**Aw man. I'm sorry for disappearing off the face of the planet for awhile, guys. First, there was the fourth of July. Then, my cousin came over, and, while she's a very sweet girl, I don't want her peering over my shoulder as I write my stories. And then my summer activities really started. But I'll try to go back to my usual schedule.  
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**tootsiepopgurl: Haha, well I think you'll warm up to her soon.**

**Wanderer of Worlds: Aw, nah. Evi's a nice girl, so she wouldn't do anything like that. xD Sazh and Dajh will pop in later.**

**PinkhairedSoldier: Thank you Bella! It wasn't a bad review at all. I love hearing from you guys. ^^**

**AssasinZAssasin: Stubborn lass, she is! :3 Don't go out of your way to review my stories. I know you're busy with your own stuff. Thanks so much for reviewing. :)**

**Misao19: If you're making me cookies, I'd like choco chip. :D**

**Revan Farron: Oh my, I feel sorry for her. xD Thanks for the review!**

** Comancee: Haha, I believe you are one of the first sympathizers with poor Tau. xD Thanks!**

**FFLightXHopeTifaXCloud: I'm workin' on that comma use! I added a little more story in this one, after your edits. I'm sorry! I probably should've sent them after, but I wanted to update as soon as possible. Thank you for your help.  
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* * *

><p>"L-L-Lightning!" Hope yelled. His face was red and his hands were clenched at his sides. The shade of his cheeks only deepened when the pink-haired woman standing in front of him gave him a questioning look. The two of them stood in the middle of the main street of the city they lived in, yet there was no one else around. The shop windows were dark, and the only other living thing around, besides the two of them, was a raven. The bird perched on a sign near Hope, jerking its head about in the way birds do.<p>

"What is it, Hope?" Lightning asked. She did not seem the least bit perturbed that no one else seemed to be there, and Hope was too embarrassed and nervous to give a damn.

"I... I love you!" The silver-haired teenager said, his voice falling in volume from his previous shout. He was glad he had managed to squeeze the confession out in time; his confidence was running too low to perform any other daring action.

Lightning's expression was moved to surprise, a look almost identical to the one she had worn the night before. Hope's heart lifted in hope, only to crash into the bottom of his chest when Light frowned and her expression darkened.

"I'm sorry, Hope." She mumbled, before turning her back to him and striding down the road, away from him. The raven let out a shriek and a huge cloud of dust blew across the road just as Hope reached forward to stop the woman he had fallen in love with.

Stumbling backwards, coughing and shielding his eyes, Hope tripped over himself and fell onto the ground. He gasped as the very earth began to tear itself up. The dust had become a whirlwind of sand and dirt, and it whipped around Hope as he struggled to rise. The houses and buildings on either side of the street began to crumble along with the ground, leaving only black, empty space behind.

And as fast as it had begun, it had ended. Now, there was only silence and darkness with Hope floating in the middle of it. There was no one else. He was totally alone.

Hope's eyes popped open in alarm. He did not sit up in terror, but he did make a small "ah" sound as he awoke. Stunned and confused, he lay still in his bed. Finally realizing that the whole thing had been a nightmare, Hope sighed with relief and sat up, throwing the covers off of his legs.

There were various articles of clothing thrown about the room. Hope's desk was surprisingly neat but his walls were papered with posters and pictures and his shelves were a crazy mix of objects. Different models of boomerangs, both toys and weapons, were displayed. Everything from stones to cards littered the bookcases. On top of a shelf, a glass pyramid sat on a tiny black stand. The shafts of sunlight that were streaming through the blinds of the windows of the room pierced the glass object and threw rainbow lights around the bedroom.

Hope glanced around the room for quite some time, as if assuring himself that the ground was there and not breaking apart. He sneezed once, then sighed and pulled his knees to his chest, hugging them to himself. Burying his face in his knees, he rubbed away the damp sweat on his forehead absentmindedly. Did that nightmare mean something...? The thought suddenly struck Hope that maybe it was some sort of vision that Lightning would reject him if he confessed.

Oh, _joy._

He finally jumped off the bed and strode to the window, pulling up the blinds. Wincing in the sudden brightness of the morning sun, Hope staggered to the bedroom door and opened it, walking into the hallway. His father's bedroom door was open and it appeared that he had already left for his business trip.

Bartholomew Estheim was a busy man. Long ago, Hope had resented him for never having time to be home or to really spend time with him and his mother. Now, though, he had come to terms with the fact that his poor father was only doing it because he had to. Nora's death had been just as hard on Bartholomew as it had been for Hope, _and _he still had to raise Hope as a single parent.

A note on the dinner table caught Hope's eye and he picked it up, coughing slightly. It was a note from his father.

_Good morning, Hope!_

I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye face to face. I didn't want to wake you. I'm quite certain you didn't go to sleep until very late last night. I_** told **__you not to stay out too late. I'm also sorry I won't be home for awhile. This business trip will probably take about five days. Will you be all right? I'll call every day. Don't eat all the cake. Save it to eat with Claire and the others; I'm assuming your friends will be visiting. Say hello to them for me._

Love,  
>Dad<p>

P.S. Don't overfeed Maui. He's already getting quite big. Also, don't overfeed yourself. You're already getting quite big.

Next to the last word of the note was a smiley face with its tongue sticking out. Hope smiled. He would get back at his dad for _that, _later. First of all, he was hungry. The first mission on his list was to raid the fridge.

A few minutes later, he was sitting at the table with a plate of waffles covered in syrup when his cell phone, which he had retrieved from his bedside table, vibrated and wiggled across the tabletop. A text? Hope dropped the phone in surprise as it vibrated again. A second one?

"2 New Messages." The screen flashed. There was a picture of an envelope, and Lightning's name was shown below it. There were two options, "View Now" and "View Later." His heart thumped loudly in his chest with both excitement and worry. Recalling the dream, he slowly pressed the "View Now" button.

_Hey. In the most boring meeting ever. Some people acting up in the community. Don't reply, and you don't need to pick me up today. Later._

Feeling a little disappointed at the rather bland, anticlimactic message, Hope sighed, closing the text. She was right, of course. If she was in a meeting, he shouldn't distract her by replying... Did that mean he wouldn't see her at all?

The second text was from Vincent. This one was probably as boring as one can get with a virtual message._Hi._

While Vince was the most serious and studious of them all, he had a bit of a quirky side to him. His parents had only just allowed Vincent to text, and he had been having plenty of fun with his new freedom.

Hope replied, _Hey, Vince. Bored? _With that done, he set his phone beside his plate and resumed eating. The phone vibrated soon afterwards, but Hope refused to part with his pancakes until they were in his stomach.

Finally, Hope stood and put his plate in the sink. Sweeping up the cellular device, Hope vaulted over the back of the sofa to view the reply. _Yeah. Tau is still sulking. Your Lightning really scared him._

Hope rolled his eyes to show his exasperation, even though his best friend wasn't there. _Lightning isn't "mine", idiot._

The response was nearly immediate and Hope sighed at the text, which displayed its context in an indifferent tone. _Yeah, whatever. _Man… Vince could express his point of view in the most discreet tone possible and still get his point across.

Hope's only response to the previous message was a peeved emoticon. After that, the words _"I'm feeding Maui now. Come over if you want," _were tapped into the text after the face. With that done, he tossed the device carelessly over his shoulder onto the sofa as he sat up.

But as Hope was pulling a bowl out from under the sink, a special ringtone quickly dragged him back to snatch at his phone with an alacrity that one would deem suspicious.

Hope had a specific ringtone for each of his close friends. Snow's ringtone, for example, was the man yelling into the phone and laughing at the same time. _"Hope! Hey, Hope!" _The phone would shriek whenever Snow called, _"It's Snow. The hero!" _Shouts of laughter from Maqui, LeBreau, and the others could be heard in the background while Hope's own voice interrupted the man. _"Oh God, Snow, don't say that stuff for a ringtone."_

They had all been at a party at the Villiers' place when they began recording these, and everyone, even Lightning, had their own set of personalized sounds. Afterwards, Hope had gotten Vincent, Evi, Tau, and a few others to do it too.

The ringtone that was currently playing from Hope's cell phone was one that made him smile. Lightning's voice could be heard, distinct even through the device. _"...Why do I have to do this..."_

Snow's loud voice, also quite prominent, coaxed her. _"C'mon, Lightning. It's fun!"_

The next voice made Hope laugh. Dajh pleaded with the woman. _"Pleeease, Lightning? Please? Me and Daddy are doing it, too."_

Lightning sighed and finally agreed. _"But... what do I say?" _

_"Anything!" _Hope tilted his head, thinking about how different he sounded on the phone, at least to his own ears. Deciding not to keep her waiting any longer, Hope retrieved the phone and opened it, putting it to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hope?" Lightning said. "Hope, we're having a dinner party at Serah's place tonight. Sazh and the NORA gang are going to be there, too. Can you and your dad come?"

Hope smiled; Dinner parties were always fun. "I'd love to come!" The smile on his face faded a little. "...My dad's on a business trip, though. He left this morning."

"I see..." There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Will you be okay while he's gone?"

"_Lightning. _I'm not a kid."

"Yeah you are." The woman chuckled.

"Hey! I'm sixteen!"

"Hmph, still just a kid."

"You sound like Sazh. I'm fine! Geez... I'll drive over and pick you up, then we can head to their place."

"Didn't you read my text?"

"O-Oh, right... I kind of..." Hope trailed off. He had meant to tell Lightning that he wanted to talk to her, one on one, but couldn't bring himself to do it. "Yeah. I'll just see you then. What time should I be there?"

"Hm... Around 6:30 should do it."

"Okay, I'll be... Ah... AH-CHOO!" Hope sneezed violently, his head jerking backwards. Pulling a tissue out of the box next to the phone charger, he blew his nose and tossed the crumpled tissue into the trash can.

"Sorry." He said, returning the receiver to his ear. "I think I got a bit of a chill this morning."

Lightning's voice was reproachful when she finally responded. "_..._Did you sleep with your hair wet again? I've _told you before. _If you sleep with your hair wet, you're going to catch a cold."

Hope didn't say anything, but began to giggle quietly. After a rather irritated silence from Lightning, Hope apologized. "Sorry, Light. But you sounded so much like a mom!"

"...Alright. I'll see you at the party." And the woman hung up. She hadn't sounded angry. She probably softened at the mom thing, since it was coming from Hope.

Shaking his head, Hope closed his phone. It was rather pointless though, since it was soon opened again when Hope got a text from Vincent. _I'll be there soon. Evi's coming, too._

Evi and Vincent were both next door neighbors and good childhood friends. Ironically, Evi's father and Vincent's mother used to date each other. One would think it would make it more awkward to find that they had moved to houses next to each other with different spouses years after their dating days, but they actually grew to be great friends.

Seeing as they would be there soon, Hope figured he might as well get on with it. Striding to a door that led to the backyard of his house, still rubbing his nose, Hope poked his head into the yard and called out, "Maui!"

He was immediately responded to as a young puppy skittered around a corner of the house and leapt, full throttle, into Hope's arms. In reality, though, it wasn't really a _domestic _puppy.

It was a baby Pantheron. The vicious beasts had once been one of Hope's frequent enemies, but with short legs, a small body, a chubby face, and a sweet disposition, the little suckers were one of the most adorable things ever. Certainly, the way Hope and Bartholomew had come to keep the "monster" did not really fall into the norm... But that's another story.

"Down, Maui, down! I'll get you your food, so just calm down for a second!" The small puppy's immense joy and rather clingy personality prevailed, though, and he continued to wriggle about in Hope's grasp.

Finally, Hope staggered to the couch and tipped the puppy over onto the cushions, where he lay sprawled in a comical fashion, before wiggling about and tipping himself over the edge. Triumphantly, now that he was upright, Maui scampered after Hope, who had gone to the kitchen to prepare Maui's food.

As Hope set the bowl before the hungry puppy's eager mouth, the doorbell rang. Maui's head jerked up and away from the food and, distracted, charged towards the noise. Hope followed close behind, trying to shush Maui. Peering through the window, Hope witnessed Evi and Vincent laughing on his doorstep. As he watched, Evi gave Vince a bit of a shove.

* * *

><p>"You're the new guy?"<p>

Hope blinked and turned. A black-haired boy stood there, looking Hope over with a cool and calculating eye, his light blue eyes startling in their contrast to his hair color. Hope recognized him from his class.

It was his first day in his new high school. Most of the students already knew each other from their middle schools, but Hope had recently transferred into their district. People knew about him from the recent events, but no one actually _knew _him. And so, the silver-haired boy had been alone for the majority of the first day.

Hope nodded in response to the boy's question. "Yeah. I'm Hope Estheim."

"I'm Vincent Altao. Vince for short. Nice to meet you." The two shook hands. There was a moment of awkward silence, then Vince ran his fingers through his chaotic mane of hair. "So... I noticed you didn't really have anyone to sit with... and stuff. So, basically... Me and my friends were wondering... Sorry, I'm not too good at talking with new people..."

Hope grinned. "Nah, I get what you're saying. That'd be great."

Vince returned the smile and nodded. "Well, come on." He led the way down the hall, back to their classroom. Everyone was eating lunch and a few students stared as Hope took a seat beside Vincent at the window. A large, red-haired boy trudged over to the table and, to Hope's surprise, sat down on the other side of Vincent. Noting his surprise, Vince introduced the two. "Hope, this is Tau. Tau, this is..."

"I know who this is! Hope Estheim, right? What you did with your friends is totally amazing! Vince, don't you know...?"

"Of course I know. But there isn't any need to bring it up, don't you think? He was pretty embarrassed when some of our girl classmates called him out on it."

"Oh..." Tau took a moment to think about it, before bowing his head. "Excuse my inconsideration..." He mumbled humbly.

Hope smiled and waved a hand. "It's fine. Thank you." At that point, Hope turned his head slightly and saw a brown-haired girl staring at their group of three. A moment later, Vince turned his head as well to see what he was looking at. Once the two caught each others' eye, Vince's fork paused its journey to his mouth and the brown-haired girl jerked her head back sharply, as if stung. Then she turned and stalked out of the room with a blond girl.

"Who was that?" Hope asked when Vincent turned back around. Vince took a bite of his lunch and swallowed before answering.

"That's my friend, Evi Mordia. And the blondie was _her _friend, Libby Conow."

Tau leaned over Vincent to whisper to Hope, "Vince and Evi are mad at each other right now... Usually, Evi and Libby sit with us."

Vince shrugged. "She gets mad at me a lot. We're family friends and we see each other all the time, not to mention we're neighbors too, so she's got plenty of time to get pissed off at me."

"They're really close, though," Tau interjected.

Hope tilted his head, brow furrowing. "So... An extremely contradicting couple?"

Vince snorted. "Oh come on, no matter who says what, we aren't going out or anything. We're just family friends."

Hope thought about this for a moment before asking another question. "Why's she mad at you? She seemed pretty miffed just now."

Vince continued eating with an air of indifference. "I'm on the student board, as well as the vice president of the Forensics team. Speech-making and stuff, you know? Not the detective business. Now that we're in high school, we really have to start working.

"Evi and I usually chill together on the weekends, but I hadn't hung out with her in awhile and she started getting upset. So, one day I didn't come to a dinner party our parents had scheduled and she got mad."

Tau shook his head solemly. "Vince doesn't understand girls very well."

"Oh, and you do?" Vince shot a look at Tau. "Anyways, it usually only lasts a day or two, but I think this'll take awhile to blow over."

Indeed, it took quite a while for the situation to "blow over," as Vince had said. In fact, it was a whole week before Evi greeted Vince in the morning. After that, though, they seemed to return to their old selves, and Hope saw that what Tau had said was very true. Vincent and Evi were very close friends.

* * *

><p>Smiling, Hope picked Maui up and opened the door, welcoming his friends in. "Hey, guys. I was just feeding Maui."<p>

Evi slowly slid behind Vincent, brown eyes set fearfully on Maui. Hope raised an eyebrow and Vincent sighed. "C'mon, Evi." Hope said, bracingly. "Maui's nice, you know that. You even managed to pet him last time."

Vincent stepped into the Estheims' house, leaving Evi behind. Hope blew air through his nose and handed Maui to Vincent, who squeezed his blue eyes shut as the excited creature began to lick his face. "S-Stop it, Maui, stop it!" Vincent held him at arms length, rubbing his face on his sleeve. "I'll take you back to the kitchen..."

As Vincent walked away, Hope held a hand out to Evi, who grabbed it and latched on. Hope closed the door behind her, then waited for Evi to let go. But she didn't. "Hope, I..."

Hope said nothing and just looked at the brown-haired girl. "Hope, I need to talk to you..." Evi finally whispered. Hope nodded, even though he really wanted to ask her to say it now.

"Hey, Vince! Evi and I are going to get the mail, okay?" Hope called. The mailbox was _allll _the way down the long driveway. Even if Vince was wondering why they were taking so long, he wouldn't be able to see them from the window and would just assume they were taking their time.

"'Kay," Vince called back. The two of them stepped out of the house and started the long walk down the driveway in silence.

It hadn't been a lie. Hope had to get the mail, anyways, so it was just a perfect opportunity to hear what Evi said and to get one of his "chores" done at the same time. As he was tugging envelopes, magazines, and a small package, Evi finally plucked up the courage to speak. "Hope, that pink-haired woman..."

Hope immediately knew who she was talking about. "...Lightning?"

"Yeah. Do you... Do you like her?"

"...I guess I do... Yeah." Hope looked carefully at the package in his hands. "What about it?"

"But, Hope, _I _like you, too...!" Evi blushed, but stared intently at Hope, who paused for a moment before setting the mail on the ground and turning to look her dead in the eye.

"Evi. You _don't. _I mean, I'm sure you like me as a friend, but you don't love me." Hope decided to be as blunt as possible, but his expression was still slightly sad as he looked down at the girl in front of him.

Tears began to well up in Evi's brown eyes. "I _do..."_

"The day we first met? My first impression of you was a grumpy person," Hope smiled slightly. "Vince told me you were mad at him. You stayed mad at him for like... a week? Then, you guys slowly started speaking again.

"You really like Vince, don't you? It's been him, even before we met." Hope reached out and hugged Evi as she began to cry. "You're an idiot... Vince probably knew you just wanted to make him jealous, but then decided you really liked me. He's smart, but not in these situations."

Evi was really weeping now. Hope continued talking, now patting her soothingly on the head. "Sorry, Evi... I'm sorry. Two years. It must've been hard." Then, he bonked her on the head. Hard.

"Ow!" Evi stumbled backwards, rubbing her head. "What the heck was that for, Hope?" She asked, pummeling him, even as tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

"That's so _stupid!" _Hope retorted. "Why didn't you just tell him? I swear, girls are the weirdest specimens in the universe!"

"Excuse me? Boys are the really confusing things!" They proceeded to head back up towards the house, still arguing with each other. By the time they reached the house, the two were laughing hysterically.

Walking into the house, still chuckling, they were greeted with odd looks from Vincent. He looked from Hope to Evi, eyes roaming over her ruffled hair, wet face, and red eyes. He walked up to her, straightening her hair. This was clearly a regular thing, as they saw each other almost every day, regardless of the time of the year. "What happened?" The black-haired boy inquired.

Hope drew himself up to his full height and coughed. "Vincent!" He said in a loud, attention-commanding voice. "Evi has something to tell you!" With a grand sweep of his arm and a great show of bravado, Hope ignored a protesting Evi and indicated the door.

"Sorry to cut your visit short, but I think her announcement will take much more time than is available at my house." Hope pushed the two out of the door, grinning cheekily. "Talk about it on the way home, and tell me what happens after!" And without another word, he shut the door.

Maui was in the kitchen, stretched out in a patch of sunlight. Hope poked him with a toe. "C'mon, you lazy dog." The pup did not respond except to stretch and roll over.

Hope sighed, then was suddenly overcome with a coughing fit. Even though the day was warm, he shivered. The excitement had left him, and now left him feeling very... tired. "I'm gonna go... sleep." He mumbled, heading towards his bed.

* * *

><p>Lightning was putting away some more files, preparing to leave, when Amodar came over to stand at her side. "Lightning, aren't you leaving a little later than usual? Where is Hope?"<p>

"I told him not to pick me up today, sir. It's nothing really that important." The pink-haired woman stood and saluted the man briefly. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." Amodar nodded, and she left the office.

As she walked into the parking lot, Lightning felt another presence coming up behind her. She stopped, and a man stopped beside him. He was a handsome fellow, with straw-colored hair and green eyes. He was taller than Lightning, but she was his superior in both abilities and rank. Lightning sighed. "What do you want, Princeton?"

"Please, Light, just call me Bane, won't you?" Bane Princeton grinned, sliding his arm around Lightning's shoulders. She stepped from his reach and turned to face him, her blue eyes shooting daggers at the man.

"I _said, _what do you want, _Princeton?" _Lightning folded her arms across her chest.

Bane put on an expression of immense hurt, and shrugged. "Aw, c'mon sweetie, I just wanted to ask you out to dinner."

"That's unfortunate," came Lightning's swift response. "I have something scheduled already. Goodbye." She turned on her heel and headed towards her car. To her great annoyance, Bane followed her.

"This appointment isn't with that _kid, _is it? What's his girly name again? Faith?" Bane snorted.

Livid, Lightning whipped around. "His name is _Hope. _And I'd much rather rather go out to dinner with _him_ than an aggravating prick like _you. _So back off, you childish jerk. I can't believe you're in the Guardian Corp." She continued on her way and was relieved to hear no following footsteps.

* * *

><p>Later, Lightning headed up the apartment stairs to Serah and Snow's place. It had been a long day, and she was looking forward to just relaxing with friends and family. As she placed her finger on the doorbell, though, her phone rang with the tone that indicated she had a new text message. Serah opened the door to see Lightning looking at the message with a worried expression.<p>

"Sis? What's wrong?"

"Mm... I don't think Hope's going to be able to make it to the party. He says he's got a mild fever and cold."

"Aww, no..." Serah frowned. "Should we go see him?"

Lightning stared at the message a little longer, before shaking her head and putting her cell phone away. "He said that he was fine. He gave me his temperature, too. It's only 99 degrees, so he should be okay. He doesn't want to get Dajh and the kids sick."

"That's nice of him. I'll take something to him, later." Serah mused as she turned to the kitchen. Lightning followed her, trying to shake off the concerned feeling she still had.

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><p><strong>"Hope's heart lifted in hope"... -Giggle- Hehe, sorry. I wanted to say it just so it would be rather... ironic? xD Maybe that isn't the exact word for it.<strong>

**By the way, if anyone wanted to know, I imagine Vincent as a tall boy with light blue eyes and a hairstyle that's a mix between Noctis and Vanitas. I also wanted to clear up the whole Evi thing before I proceeded to the next parts of the story.**


	5. Babysitter

**tootsiepopgurl - Hehe, well, he does have black hair. You can visualize him anyway you like, I suppose. :] I'm happy you like Maui! I'm planning on a sort of backstory on him.**

**Comancee-Ehhh, thank you, but I worry for this story. xD For example, this chapter isn't so hot in my opinion. ^^ Thanks for reading, though!**

**AssasinZAssasin- Thanks so much! I guess Bartholomew's letter got messed up somehow. I didn't really plan on it not to be italics afterwards. And it is 99 degrees Fahrenheit. xD Sorry for not clearing that up. I've been really busy lately, too.**

**Wanderer of Worlds- Who knows, who knows? xD I'm not so great at taking things slowly, either. Thanks for reading!**

**FFLightXHopeTifaXCloud- It's okay that you didn't know! Thanks for editing it for me. But where have you gone? D:**

**hetafan- Thank you so much!**

**PinkhairedSoldier- Yayy! This sounds terrible, but... I'm pretty happy everyone hates Princeton. :3 Sort of the point. Ehhhhehehe. Thanks for reviewing!**

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><p>Lightning stood in front of the Estheim's estate, wearing casual clothes, a simple black tank top with jeans. Serah was behind her, dressed similarly, gazing anxiously at the door as Light knocked on the door impatiently, calling out, "Hope? It's us, Lightning and Serah. We heard you were sick, so we came to check up on you."<p>

There were a few moments of silence, and then Lightning's ears picked up a small noise from behind the door. It was the sound of whining, and she twitched. She had never approved of keeping that monster in the house, even if he was a puppy. Times spent battling Pantherons had pretty much given Lightning a permanent distrust of them. Just tools of PSICOM, in her opinion.

Then she heard something she actually cared about. "Maui, stop... Back, okay?" There was a scuffle behind the door, and then it opened. Hope stood there, shaking back his silver locks. "Light, Serah! Hi... Thanks for coming, but really, I'm fine... You should probably go home, I might get you sick, and..."

"Oh, be quiet." Lightning said as she forced her way through the door, ignoring the prancing puppy that tried to get her attention.

Serah walked in after her, smiling apologetically. "You might as well just let Lightning have her way, Hope," She said, interrupting Hope's feeble protests. "We came all this way to make sure you were okay, anyways. Besides, your dad wanted us to check up on you, too."

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, apparently, you don't sound so lively on the phone." Serah patted Maui on the head. "Hi, Maui! Good boy, good boy!"

"Careful, Serah." Lightning snapped from the kitchen. "You never know what those things'll do." A popping suction-like noise could be heard. She appeared at the doorway, an open jar in one hand and the cap in the other.

"Oh, Sis, you're so paranoid. Hope and Mr. Estheim raised Maui, so he'll be fine." Serah stood and traipsed past her sister to the kitchen.

Hope shook his head. "C'mon, Light. You know Maui's never done anything bad." He shivered slightly, and stifled a cough behind his hand. "But you two should really leave before you catch something."

"Speaking of that," Lightning disappeared for a split second, then reappeared with a slab of bread covered in jam. She grabbed Hope's arm and dragged him out of the foyer. Taking him into his room, Light forced him onto the bed. "_Lie down," _She commanded. "Have you eaten, yet?"

"No, b-but, I... _Mmf..." _The piece of bread was forced into his mouth, cutting off his speech. Taking advantage of his disorientation, Lightning put a hand on his chest and pushed. Hope's head hit the pillow, and she nodded. "Stay." She said, before she left.

Serah looked up and turned from the stove when Lightning emerged from Hope's room. "Mission complete, soldier?"

"More or less." Lightning looked over Serah's shoulder to the pot of boiling hot water on the stove. "Are you making the spaghetti now?"

"Yep. When I'm done, you have to bring it to him, okay?"

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "Sure. But you could always do it, too."

"Ohhh, no, no, Sis. See, I have to go home soon, so _you'll _have to stay and care for him, okay?" Serah giggled before pouring in the noodles, the stiff, dry strips softening immediately to roil about in the bottom of the iron container.

"And that does not really explain why _I _have to do it. Besides, I have work tomorrow." Lightning took a loaf of bread from the many bags the sisters had brought and proceeded to cut it into slices.

Serah shook her head sadly at her elder sibling's foolishness. "Oh, c'mon, Lightning. It's _so obvious _that Hope thinks the world of you. He would much prefer you staying to take care of him than me."

Lightning was quite glad her back was to Serah as she muttered, "What are you talking about? I was only his mentor, and now I am simply his friend..." She felt a little warm, despite the fan that rotated on the ceiling above them. Serah grinned widely as she stirred the spaghetti.

Despite Serah's words, Lightning forced her to help bring the many things into Hope's room. It would've taken Lightning herself a couple of trips to get everything to the sick boy, anyways. There was the spaghetti, a mug of hot water, a few different pills to counteract the effects of the sickness, an ice pack, a towel, a bowl of water, and some other things. Hope, who had been dozing off, awoke with a start and stared in amazement at the supplies piling up on any available space near his bed.

"W-Wow... Um... You guys really didn't need to do all of this... But, thanks, really."

Serah smiled. "No problem, Hope. Anyways, I have to get home. I'm sorry to have to leave in the middle of trying to make you feel better."

"No, really, it's-"

"_But!" _Serah sang out, cutting across him, "_Lightning _is going to stay the night, okay? We can't leave a sick, underaged kid all by himself."

Hope began to choke on his own words, and Lightning hit him on the back, though she was likewise spluttering. "S-Serah, wh-what are you talking about?" That hadn't been _planned._

"But, Sis, we can't just leave him all by himself." Serah waved a hand flippantly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Of course you're staying over. I've already called Mr. Amodar, and he said it was fine." Her eyes had a mischievous glint in them as she skipped out the door. "Bye!"

Before Lightning could collect her thoughts, the young woman was already out the front door. There was a bit of an awkward silence, and then Lightning said, "...Eat your spaghetti before it gets cold. Then sleep."

"Uhhh... Okay." Without another word, the boy took the bowl and started scarfing down the contents. Light made a small, annoyed noise, and he grinned sheepishly, a tiny bit of noodle dangling from one of the longer strands of his platinum hair.

"Sorry, but... I'm _really _hungry." He proceeded to eat, but in a slightly neater fashion. Lightning reached over and flicked the noodle off of his hair, and stood.

"I'm going to get some of the spaghetti, too. Hope you don't mind."

"'Course not!" Hope smiled cheerily. "You two are the ones who made it, anyways. Actually," he stifled a yawn behind his hand before continuing, "just help yourself to anything..." Hope chewed on a noodle, his eyelids drooping.

Lightning nodded, smiling slightly, and returned to the kitchen. Taking a bowl from a cabinet, she ladled some spaghetti into it. It smelled delicious, and her stomach fairly roared in anticipation. The noise was answered with a whine from behind her. and Lightning quickly turned around, backing up as far as she could against the stove. Maui sat on the floor directly in front of her, gazing up at her- or, the bowl she had in her hand- with perfect puppy dog eyes.

Which naturally had absolutely no effect on Lightning, of course, given her steely soldier nature. And her dislike for her former enemies, the Pantheron. No effect at all, given that she wanted to draw out her survival knife as protection.

She slowly backed edged along the stove, reaching the wall and then quickly hurrying to Hope's door, closing the door behind her. With a sigh of annoyance and relief, Lightning turned and saw that the sick, silver-haired teenager that she had been given the duty to care for had fallen asleep. His bowl, which still had a few strands of spaghetti at the bottom, lay cradled in the crook of his arm, while his head was slumped onto his shoulder. His breathing, deep and even, caused the edges of his long locks to flutter rhythmically.

Light tilted her head and let out another sigh escape her lips, which had lifted into another smile. She was strongly reminded of the time when, l'Cie at the time, she had allowed Hope to follow her about. While she had been out scouting, Hope had taken the chance to rest, and actually fallen asleep.

_"Mom?"_

"Tch. Not by a longshot."

Lightning quietly stepped up to the bed and reached over, scooping the bowl from Hope's grasp. Then, she pulled the covers up over his shoulders. He mumbled, and she froze, watching his face apprehensively. The boy only rolled over, though, snuggling deeper into the sheets. Lightning quietly sat down and proceeded to eat her own lunch.

"Sis? Hope?" The bedroom door creaked open and Serah poked her head into the room. She covered her mouth when she saw Hope and as Lightning held a finger up to her lips. "Sorry...!" The pink-haired woman slipped in and closed the door.

"How'd you get in?"

"You never locked the door after I left. Really...!" Serah frowned, annoyed by her sister's sudden carelessness. "Anyways, I brought you your stuff." She held up a black bag.

"My stuff?"

"Of course! You're staying over, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah, speaking of that." Lightning's eyes narrowed. "What are you playing at, just forcing me to stay over tonight?"

"Whoa, Sis, don't get angry at me! It's only for Hope's good, and you need a break from work, too."

"You're always like that. I'm _fine. _I don't need so many breaks."

"Nonsense. Your job is so tiring." Serah paid her sister's irritation no more mind as she thrust the bag into Light's arms and proceeded to straighten up a bit of Hope's room. "Why don't you go take a shower now, while I'm here? I can watch over Hope for just a little before leaving."

Light opened her mouth to decline, then closed it again, reconsidering. She did feel like a bit of a shower... She had been watching over Hope for quite some time now, and felt like a bit of a "change."

"Alright, I suppose." She rifled through the bag, pulling out her change of clothes for the night; a pair of sweatpants and a short-sleeve shirt. Also taking her towel, Lightning headed out to the shower.

Twenty minutes later, she was back, rubbing at her hair with a smaller towel. Small droplets of water were scattered about the room as she gave her hair a little shake. She smiled at Serah, but then raised her eyebrows. The bed was empty. "Where's Hope?"

"Oh, he woke up while you were in the bathroom, and went off to take a shower of his own. Anyways, I have to get going now. I've got a bit of a date with Snow."

"Yes, yes... Have fun, I suppose." Lightning permitted her sister to give her a hug, then walked her to the door so she could lock it. Just as she was turning the lock, Hope emerged from the second bathroom, which was closer to the front door than the one Lightning had used.

"Huh? Serah left so soon?" Hope asked, rubbing at his hair with a towel similar to the one draped around Light's neck. He yawned, then paused. Squeezing his eyes shut, the boy frowned, then let loose a huge sneeze. Immediately, Lightning was at his side.

"Bed. Now." Light wrapped her fingers around the silver-haired boy's wrist and began dragging him towards his room.

"W-Wait, but Light, I'm not sleepy at all..." Lightning stopped and turned around to face him, her hand still on the boy's arm. The skeptical look she gave him made him hesitate.

"Don't lie to me, Hope. You didn't sleep nearly enough just now, and you'll get sick if you stay outside just after showering."

"I'll go to sleep later, okay? Please?" Hope pleaded. The area where Lightning's hand was holding his wrist felt warm, but he shivered slightly. Flushed, he shuffled his feet a little as the woman's brilliant blue eyes bore into his own.

"...Fine. But you're sitting." Giving the boy no chance to protest, Lightning spun Hope around and half-carried, half-dragged him over to the couch. Hope was so surprised he almost fell off the seat, but quickly regained his balance.

"What are you doing, Light?" Hope complained as she settled into the seat next to him with a sigh. He had grown so much that he was now taller than her, which remained true when they sat down. "...You're so strong, it's really surprising..."

"Well, that's what happens when you have a job like mine." Lightning tilted her head back and closed her eyes. While the awkward silence expanded and filled the house, Hope rubbed at his damp hair, shooting furtive, rather shy looks at Lightning from the corner of his eye.

Suddenly, Light sat up straight and, observing Hope with a sideways look. "So, how's school?"

"H-Huh? School... School's okay, I guess. I think Evi and Vince are in another fight. Tau is still scared of you showing up, so he's hesitant to go anywhere in the town with us."

"Really?" Lightning looked mildly surprised, then bowed her head slightly. "Sorry about that. Tau is... the other boy, right? Other than Vincent."

"Yeah, kind of big. Red-haired. Anyways, it's okay. He'll get over it." Hope put his hands on his knees and leaned back. "Tau's easily scared; he's just a big baby." He rubbed his right eye with the back of one hand. His lids felt like lead, and he blinked often to keep his eyes open.

Lightning frowned and pressed a hand to his forehead. Under her cool hand, Hope lost the battle and let his eyes close, slumping slightly. "You're still feverish. You need to go to bed and... Hope?"

He muttered something, and then his silver-haired head tilted. In a matter of seconds, he had fallen asleep. Lightning gasped and quickly gripped his shoulders as the teenager started to keel over. She had been able to make him sit on the sofa, but dealing with his dead weight would be too much. He had been growing like weed lately.

"Fine, it can't be helped..." Still keeping a hand on Hope's shoulder, Lightning leaned back in her seat, then carefully leaned his shoulder against her own. His head rested on her own, and she sighed. "You really did grow a lot... Though, this makes me pretty reminiscent. Back then, you were still shorter than me, though."

Hope sighed in his sleep and Light frowned as Maui jumped onto his lap.

"Geez, I don't need a babysitter, Dad!"

"Oh, but I still don't feel safe. You're still so young, after all, and it's not a babysitter. I'm just having someone watch over the house until I get back tonight." Bartholomew checked his phone, then closed it with a snap. Smiling at his young son, he gestured towards the door. "She's here. Why don't you go say hello?"

"O-kay." Hope stepped up to the front door and pulled it open. He gasped as a familiar figure stepped into the house.

"Excuse me for intruding."

"Not at all, not at all, my dear, since you're doing me a favor," Bartholomew hurried over, shaking the woman's hand. "I apologize, but I've got to run now." He put a hand on Hope's head and gave him an apologetic look. "Go to sleep earlier, okay? I'll see you later."

Hope frowned and looked down as Bartholomew exited the house. Then, he fixed a smile on his face and turned to his "babysitter."

"Hi, Light! Thanks for coming."

The woman's pink hair swished through the air as she shook her head. "No, it's fine. Your father works hard, so I was more than willing to come when he asked me to." She folded her arms over her chest and stared at Hope with her narrowed and piercing blue eyes. "...It isn't your father's fault he has to work so much, you know."

"Ahhh, I know, I know!" Hope put his hands behind his head and turned away, mussing up his hair in frustration. "But it's just like before... I want to spend more time with him, but he never has that! He never has _any _time to spare... It's like when it was just me and Mom... But now..." Hope shook his head, letting his hands fall to his sides. "Now I'm by myself."

He swallowed hard to keep the painful lump in his throat down. He didn't want Lightning Farron, of all people, to see him cry. He heard Lightning exhale and felt her hand come to rest on his left shoulder. "Try to understand, Hope." Her voice said behind him.

Hope remained rooted to the spot as Lightning stepped ahead of him, into the living room. She removed her overcoat and draped the white article of clothing over the armrest of one of the sofas. "I can put this here, right?"

Hope nodded soundlessly. His face was turned towards the ground, but Lightning seemed to have understood. "Sit, Hope," She commanded before going into the kitchen.

The boy obeyed, and smacked his cheeks with both hands. Confident that he no longer looked like he had been crying, he raised his head and then assumed a casual expression just as Lightning entered the living room again, holding a cup of hot water which she handed to Hope.

"Huh? Oh... T-Thanks." He hesitantly stretched out a hand and took the porcelain cup from the woman. Lightning nodded and then sat down next to him.

"Hope. Why don't you talk to your father like this?"

"Because it's just as you said!" Hope gritted his teeth. So much for regaining his composure. "He's working so hard for my sake, too! It'd be terrible for me to complain!"

Lightning was silent for awhile as the boy took a gulp of hot water, made a pained noise as the liquid scalded his throat, and set the cup on the coffee table. "...It's okay for you to cry. You really miss her, right?"

Hope felt tears welling up in his eyes, and tried to stop them to no avail. Lightning put an arm around him, and he gave in.

Ten minutes later, the boy's form was still and more peaceful, though the occasional shudder interrupted his steady breathing. Quietly, Lightning moved Hope's head from her shoulder, and picked him up, princess-style, the same way she had lifted Serah in the Pulse Vestige. She opened the door to his room and set him down on the bed. "Hmph." She sighed, her hands on her hips. She pulled the covers over his sleeping form, and then left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Things were so much easier when I could just pick you up..." Lightning smiled nostalgically, her chin on her fist. "I think I might miss the times when you were just a kid. But, I guess you're fine no matter what."

Later that night, Lightning lay in the guest bedroom. Warm and comfortable, she was about to completely succumb to sleep when a whining noise floated through her partially opened door. She tried to ignore it, but it persisted and she finally sat upright in bed. "Ugh, what is it…?"

Shivering as she stepped into the hallway, Light narrowed her eyes to peer through the gloom of the house. A small shape was standing in front of Hope's doorway, butting its head against it. Maui. Silently, Light stepped up behind the dog and reached over to push open the door. Surprised and ecstatic with the door's sudden surrender, the Pantheron puppy bounded into the room. The woman hesitated, then followed suit.

As she approached Hope's bed, a pained moan emitted from the mass of blankets. "…Hope?" Lightning tilted her head, blinking at the boy. He was silent before rolling onto his side, slowly lifting his head.

"Li…ght?" He croaked. His face was obscured in darkness, but he sounded terrible.

"Hope, what's wrong?" Lightning ran to his bedside as he collapsed once again. She quickly held a hand to his forehead to discover that his temperature had gone higher than any fever she had ever witnessed. It was too late to call Serah. What was she going to do…?

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><p><strong>Ehhhh, I dunno! I don't really like this chapter... Hopefully the next one is better. I'll also try updating more. Thanks for reading!<strong>


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